How To Run Your Meetings Like Apple and Google
Meeting can either be a waste of time or a catalyst to productivity. Are your meetings as effective as you would like? If not, Sean Blanda from 99U has written an excellent article outlining how several truly productive companies make the most of each meeting. Learn from Apple, Google, and others.
The following is a short excerpt from the article.
Rapid experimentation with meetings in the past decade by startups and Fortune 500 companies alike has produced a new set of rules to consider. Here are three that seem to be universal:
- All meetings must have a stated purpose or agenda. Without an agenda, meetings can easily turn into aimless social gatherings rather than productive working sessions.
- Attendees should walk away with concrete next steps or Action Items. We love Action Items here, but we're not the only ones. From Apple to the Toastmasters, the world's most successful organizations demand that attendees leave meetings with actionable tasks.
- The meeting should have an end time. Constraints breed creativity. By not placing an endtime, we encourage rambling, off-topic and useless conversation.
Of course, there's no need to stop there. Truly productive companies always continue tweaking to suit their specific culture.
Your meetings can be productive. To read the entire article and hear what Apple and Google do, click here.